Low-cost platform opens new market opportunities for Wi-Fi devices

November 12, 2007 -- Cambridge Consultants today announced that the Iona low-power Wi-Fi radio, first shown at CES in January, has been developed and launched as CSR’s RadioPro platform. Radios based on the platform will be available in shops around Christmas. With a manufacturable eBOM of just $15 this is the lowest cost Wi-Fi radio available and opens a door to a wealth of new web-enabled applications previously restricted by cost.

In addition to supporting over 10,000 radio stations through a dedicated portal, Cambridge Consultants’ design has also enabled the RadioPro to have access to the latest software, receiving upgrades automatically via its Wi-Fi connection.  The design’s flexible architecture also allows full customisation of the user interface and menus through a dedicated software development kit (SDK).

The platform is based on two low-power chips from CSR: UniFi, CSR's single-chip Wi-Fi solution and the Multimedia Application Processor (MAP), a highly integrated chip with Cambridge Consultants’ XAP processor, a DSP and a stereo codec. The low-power design of RadioPro boasts up to 25 hours of active streaming time running on a 1500mAh battery, enabling truly portable internet radio products.

“RadioPro is a breakthrough design that enables our customers to penetrate this market quickly, at lower risk and at low-cost to the consumer,” said Tracy Hopkins, vice president of CSR’s consumer business unit. “Cambridge Consultants’ ability to help us deliver such a large development project successfully was crucial in getting to market quickly,” she added.

“The combination of our creative engineering and CSR’s excellence in low-cost silicon systems has delivered a platform of great versatility,” said Duncan Smith, head of consumer products for Cambridge Consultants.  “It has the potential to be applied not only to internet radio but also to new categories of low-cost web-enabled products and services, opening up new markets and delighting next year’s consumers.”